Xiaomi plans launch of another premium smartphone to tackle Indian market

What happened: Xiaomi is scheduled to launch a separate smartphone brand Poco to enter world premium Android phone competition. The product will debut in India on August 22. This is not Xiaomi’s first attempt to bring on premium products. Xiaomi launched Mi Mix 2, a model priced around $400, but received a tepid response in India.

Why it’s important: It remains to be seen whether the launch of Poco is a marketing strategy or a genuine new design of product. The company’s premium model Mi Mix 2 received no satisfactory market response in India. To truly enter the high-end smartphone competition, Xiaomi has to show new technology and premium user experience. Meanwhile, if Xiaomi wishes to grab market share currently owned by Samsung, Huawei, or the iPhone, breaking those brands’ existing user stickiness and establishing Xiaomi’s own takes time.